Only a preseason first team was announced. CU sophomore guard Alec Burks, who may have well received the sixth most votes, was among five players named honorable mention.

Higgins, from Danville, Calif., is the son of former NBA player Rod Higgins. After finishing his sophomore and junior seasons, Cory Higgins was named to the all-Big 12 third team. He has started every game at CU (94) and enters this season ranked ninth on the school’s career scoring list with 1,391 points.

Higgins (18.9 points per game last season) and Burks (17.1) recently were recognized among the national top 50 list for the Wooden Award.

Kansas State’s Pullen was projected by the Big 12 coaches to be the league’s player of the year. Missouri forward Ricardo Ratliffe, a junior college transfer, was named preseason newcomer of the year. Kansas guard Josh Selby earned the nod as the league’s preseason freshman of the year.